Iranian Students and the US: What Admissions, Sanctions, and Visa Bans Mean for Your Plans in 2025-2026

What Changed and When

On June 4, 2025, President Trump signed Presidential Proclamation 10949 , which took effect on June 9, 2025. It fully bans entry of nationals from 12 countries, including Iran, and partially restricts nationals of 7 additional countries, for a combined 19 countries impacted. The proclamation covers immigrant and nonimmigrant categories such as F-1 student visas.

The proclamation applies to Iranian nationals who were outside the United States and did not hold a valid visa as of June 9, 2025. Anyone already in the US on a valid F-1 is not immediately expelled, but they face a separate set of restrictions described below. No new Iranian students have been admitted into the US to study since the ban took effect.

This is a more severe restriction than the first Trump-era travel ban. Earlier versions excluded students from F-visa protections or allowed case-by-case waivers. Proclamation 10949 closes those pathways entirely for new entrants.

Who This Affects

The ban touches several groups of Iranian students at different stages of their academic path:

• Admitted students still abroad: Accepted to US programs but unable to enter. Their enrollment is deferred indefinitely or lost.
• Current F-1 students in the US: Allowed to stay but warned against leaving, since re-entry is now blocked.
• OPT applicants: USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0192 on December 2, 2025, placing an indefinite hold on pending benefit applications from nationals of the 19 designated countries. A second memo on January 1, 2026, extended that hold. Iranian graduates who filed OPT applications are stuck in processing limbo.
• STEM OPT extension applicants: Subject to the same holds, cutting off an additional 24 months of work authorization.

NAFSA's regulatory update notes a second proclamation issued December 16, 2025, which expanded the ban further, effective January 1, 2026.

The Numbers Behind the Freeze

The decline in Iranian student admissions to the US was already underway before the June 2025 ban. According to State Department visa office data , F-1 visa issuances to Iranian nationals fell from roughly 3,900 in FY 2023 to 2,166 in FY 2024, a 44% drop in one year.

Roughly 12,000 Iranian students are enrolled at US universities, with about 80% in graduate programs, according to reporting by Inside Higher Ed . Nearly 1,800 Iranian nationals participated in Optional Practical Training the prior year. With the USCIS hold in place under PM-602-0192, new OPT approvals for Iranian nationals could drop to zero in 2026.

Section 212(f) Denials for PhD Students

In spring 2025, the State Department began denying admitted Iranian PhD and master's students under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, citing national security. Prism Reports documented hundreds of cases where students received denial notices after 10 to 14 months of administrative processing, often weeks before their programs were due to begin.

A common pattern emerged across these cases:

• Students attended their interviews at US embassies in Ankara, Yerevan, or Dubai during 2024.
• They were placed in administrative processing under Section 221(g) with no updates.
• Denials arrived in spring 2025, sometimes after a second or third deferral by their US institution.
• Section 212(f) was cited as the legal basis, drawing on the same statute used for Proclamation 10949.

The Harvard Crimson reported that admitted students seeking legal help were told fees to fight the denial ran into the millions of dollars, with the Harvard Representation Initiative initially advising one student to begin contemplating universities outside the United States before later agreeing to assist with a national interest exception application.

The Sanctions Layer: Banking and Tuition Transfers

Even before the visa ban, Iranian students faced a second barrier in moving money. Iran has been excluded from the SWIFT international banking network, which means parents in Iran cannot wire tuition or living expenses to students abroad through standard banking channels.

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has documented students turning to crowdfunding campaigns and informal transfer networks to cover tuition and rent. US universities often will not accept payments routed through Iran-based accounts.

On the research side, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) maintains General License G, which permits US universities to enter academic exchange agreements with Iranian institutions and accept tuition payments from Iranian students. However, most banking intermediaries remain unwilling to process Iran-linked transactions due to secondary sanctions risk, making the license practically limited for students trying to send funds from inside Iran.

How Universities Are Responding

University international student offices have issued formal guidance to their Iranian students. Vanderbilt University's ISSS published a detailed breakdown of Proclamation 10949 in December 2025, noting that the proclamation fully bans 12 countries and partially restricts 7 others. MIT's International Scholars Office issued similar guidance after the January 2026 expansion, advising scholars from affected countries to postpone non-essential travel outside the US.

The University of Virginia's student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily , reported in April 2026 that UVA enrolls 49 Iranian students (48 graduate, 1 undergraduate) and that the International Studies Office now suggests extending academic programs as the primary path to keep immigration status intact while OPT processing is held.

NIAC has called on the Department of Homeland Security to investigate reports of discriminatory treatment of Iranian nationals at ports of entry.

Where Iranian Students Are Going Instead

With the US route closing, Iranian students are shifting toward other countries in large numbers. Data from Iran International shows that as of late 2024, roughly 110,000 Iranian students are enrolled across ten major international destinations, up from 60,000 in 2020.

The shifts by destination:

Turkey leads because of geographic proximity and easier visa conditions. Canada issued nearly 25,000 study permits to Iranian nationals in 2023, placing Iran among its top source markets. Canada has since introduced enrollment caps that drove a 64% drop in total new study permits in 2025, affecting all nationalities including Iranians.

Germany remains accessible through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and Iranian students often do not have to travel to a third country for their visa interview, making it a practical destination for STEM applicants.

Practical Steps for Iranian Students

If you are an Iranian student planning graduate or undergraduate studies, the options you have depend on your location and current status.

If you are already in the US on a valid F-1:

• Do not leave the US. Re-entry is blocked under the current travel ban.
• File OPT or STEM OPT applications as early as allowed, understanding processing is on hold under PM-602-0192.
• Monitor NAFSA's regulatory updates and your university's ISSS office for changes.

If you are outside the US and admitted to a US program:

• Ask your institution for a formal deferral letter and explore whether the program offers a remote or hybrid option.
• Contact an immigration attorney before spending money on application fees or travel to an embassy.
• The NIAC policy page lists advocacy resources and legal referral options.

If you are still choosing a destination:

• Turkey, Germany, and the Netherlands do not impose travel bans on Iranian nationals and have functional visa pathways.
• Canada still accepts Iranian applicants but processes are slower due to the lack of a Canadian embassy in Iran. Biometric enrollment requires travel to a third country.
• The UK has its own restrictions and visa costs but no equivalent of Proclamation 10949.

Sources

• Prism Reports: Iranian students denied U.S. visas after long wait (July 2025)
• Prism Reports: Iranian students still waiting for visas (August 2024)
• Congress.gov: Presidential Proclamation of June 4, 2025
• NAFSA: Proclamation of December 16, 2025 Travel Ban
• USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0192 (December 2, 2025)
• Inside Higher Ed: Pause on OPT Processing Harms Iranian Students (April 2026)
• The Harvard Crimson: Blocked By Trump's Travel Ban (August 2025)
• NIAC: U.S. Policy Challenges for Iranian Students
• Vanderbilt ISSS: Presidential Proclamation 10949 (December 2025)
• MIT International Scholars Office: Travel Ban Expansion (January 2026)
• The Cavalier Daily: Iranian international students face visa challenges (April 2026)
• OFAC: Iran Sanctions
• State Department: Report of the Visa Office 2024
• Iran International: Iranian students abroad hits record high (December 2024)